Massive wildfires raged across the western United States this summer, killing people and devastating entire towns. Six new projects announced recently are designed to help Arizona avoid that same fate.

It’s part of the two-day Healthy Forests, Vibrant Economy Conference in Scottsdale, attended by 300 leaders in forestry, business and government. The conference is sponsored by the Salt River Project, the largest provider of water and power in the state.

Project spokesman Jeff Lane said protecting the forest is crucial to ensuring a clean, ample water supply. “You have a lot of this silt and sediment that comes down from burnt-out forest areas,” he said. “Rain just washes that sediment into the reservoirs.”

These six projects will thin out overgrown forests, work to decrease erosion and sedimentation, improve wildlife habitat and fix trails near Stoneman Lake, McCracken, Oak Creek, Red Flat, Black River and the West Pinto Trail.

The money comes from the Northern Arizona Forest Fund, a partnership between SRP and the National Forest Foundation, working with the U.S. Forest Service. The city of Phoenix recently pledged $600,000 for the fund, and Lane said he hopes others will follow the city’s lead.